Enjoyed this video, thank you. I would call it a 'legendary' unit, it was the go to flash for a huge amount of amateur photographers back in the day. I had two, along with others, loved this one as it was simple, reliable & powerful. Miss those days but not the cost of developing!
Back then, I sold my 283 for a 285 as soon as it was available. Then upgraded it to a 4600 system flash with additional accessories such as bare bulb flash head and various TTL modules. I also used the Wein Safe-Sync adapter to keep all my older flashes triggering voltage down to ~5-6V. 😊
I’ve got my Dad’s old Nissin 360TW, from about 1980. The only other flashguns I own are the Olympus T20, Praktica BD24 and Canon 300TL. I don’t really like using flash but I’ve always fancied a Vivitar 283! Your content is excellent, so please keep sharing!
I will take a Vivitar 283 or a 285HV over any TTL system any day of the week. These units had a remote sensor cord so you could mount the unit on a stand or in a softbox. My go to simple portrait set up : 283 in a 32in softbox with the sensor cord and 1 reflector.
Hi, to me that remote cord extension for the sensor was my whole reason for using this flashgun, absolutely brilliant, Vivitar was a great brand though many "snobs" looked down on them, totally agree re studio work, fantastic bit of kit, thanks for sharing.....
@@thephotographersbag FYI. Most of the older 283's had a high trigger voltage 200-300 volts. The used ones to buy that are safe are made in China at 8 volts.
Yup, known issue as the high voltage ones can fry the electronics of digital cameras etc, care needed, I only use mine with film cameras and have modern flashguns for my digital cameras, thanks for the tip though, it's worth warning people to check the trigger voltage and check their cameras specification, could be an expensive mistake!
ATG started out with this flash. It became the best seller at that time. Then 285, 285HV to the following: * Canon 199A * Sunpak 555 * Sunpak 622 * Metz 60CT series * Metz 76MZ-5 * Quantum QFlashes
I don't believe that voltage measurement, I've never heard of a flash trigger voltage so low. But thumbs up for making the point. It's a lottery buying a 283 whether the voltage is high or low, most sellers haven't a clue. I would not keep a high voltage unit in my house with a modern camera around, just in case someone fits it on the hotshoe one day. The feet of 283's were prone to breaking off BTW and there was once a minor industry making replacements. 283s were not special, other than being very popular at one time. There are better equivalents like the Sunpak 433 and 444 which had safe voltages and could swivel too.
Hi and thanks, I agree with you that the voltage does not seem right, the 283 was extremely popular for whatever reason and sold in huge numbers though I also agree with your choices, better models available, don't fry your DSLR with a £20 flash through ignorance!
@@thephotographersbag Seems the 283 became very popular because it was early in the market (mid-70s?) as a powerful unit of good value for money. It got a reputation for reliability too. Somewhat like the Pentax K1000 film camera, it became a market survivor. Later flash unit makers "learned" from the 283 success and produced what were basically improved 283s, adding features like zoom heads, swivel, camera dedication etc (not necessarily all at once), like the Sunpak 444 and Vivitar's own 285. But the 283 remained entrenched because the early users continued to recommend it to newcomers, for example photography class tutors to theirt pupils, long after its real "sell-by" date.
thanks for sharing. I still own two Vivitar 283 flash guns that I bought 35+ years ago. I also have the grip, cable release and two cords - one coil and the other 4'. as well as the filter system. I was researching how I might use them with my table top photography and my DSLR Pentax K3. can the two - 283's be synched, off camera? any suggestions will help. thanks in advance.
Hi, I think the K3 has a built-in flash so you could use optical slaves on the 283 guns for triggering, don't plug these guns directly to the camera as it might fry it.....
Keep the 283s for use with old film cameras, and get something safe for your K3. There are loads of older flash units on Ebay etc, otherwise similar but with _safe_ voltages, so cheap they are almost being given away - like $5. They are being sold because people don't realise they can be used on digital, and people are changing to phone cameras anyway.
Hi, no it is not a good idea to use these vintage flashes with DSLRs, they have a very high " trigger voltage" and can fry the electronics in modern cameras Having said that, some of them were revised and are safe to use, but generally use a more modern flash as outlined in the camera user manual, if you need a copy for your camera, please let me know!
The reason why your sync. cable doesn't want to stay in is because it isn't a genuine Vivitar. These flashguns have a specially designed socket/plug unique only to Vivitar.
You are not familiar with this flash. You said the flash is safe because you measure 25mV but that's because you have the remote sensor plugged in and in that case the shoe on the flash no longer has voltage.
DO NOT have to worry about high voltage or those claimed professional photographers saying that it will damage your digital camera. Learn to shoot what ATG has taught thousand of photographers with ATG Auto2 modes (better than using TTL).
That's risky advice. The earlier 283s had high trigger voltages, up to 600v, and ~300v for later models. Only the most recent (made outside Japan) ones are lower, around 10v. You might be lucky with one on a digital (or even an electronic film) camera, but it's Russian Roulette. As for "ATG Auto 2" mode, I gather that was simply the original name for "Auto". Was ATG a friend of yours?
@@lexlayabout5757 Since it (as well as 285 & 285HV) was made by ATG for Ponder/Best (Vivitar). Those three flashes have PC Sync Port as well as ATG Auto2 features. Again, you can connects these with the ATG's (Vivitar) PC Sync Cable (included) to the camera's (advanced to pro digital cameras) PC Sync Socket. Or you can shoot it wireless in 433mhz using Pocket Wizard, at that time or any today radio set. ATG says that was & the safest way. FYI: ATG Auto2 was changed into A (ATG) uto Thyristor. ATG made & in Quantum QFlashes & Metz, Canon, Nikon & Nissin. To cut cost for today because many photographers are lost on how to use it, so all Sony flashes do not have ATG Auto2.
Had one of those back in the day. An excellent review, was nice to see an explanation of the accessories for this system. Many thanks.
My Dad had the same camera. Brings back memories.
Enjoyed this video, thank you. I would call it a 'legendary' unit, it was the go to flash for a huge amount of amateur photographers back in the day. I had two, along with others, loved this one as it was simple, reliable & powerful. Miss those days but not the cost of developing!
Thanks for your kind words, it was a very popular unit, I develop at home but still shoot digital also...
Back then, I sold my 283 for a 285 as soon as it was available. Then upgraded it to a 4600 system flash with additional accessories such as bare bulb flash head and various TTL modules. I also used the Wein Safe-Sync adapter to keep all my older flashes triggering voltage down to ~5-6V. 😊
They are great flashguns, have got a 285 also....video to come
I’ve got my Dad’s old Nissin 360TW, from about 1980. The only other flashguns I own are the Olympus T20, Praktica BD24 and Canon 300TL. I don’t really like using flash but I’ve always fancied a Vivitar 283!
Your content is excellent, so please keep sharing!
I have the T20,T32 and the 300TL for my T90 also, very good flashguns, more films to come...
I will take a Vivitar 283 or a 285HV over any TTL system any day of the week. These units had a remote sensor cord so you could mount the unit on a stand or in a softbox. My go to simple portrait set up : 283 in a 32in softbox with the sensor cord and 1 reflector.
Hi, to me that remote cord extension for the sensor was my whole reason for using this flashgun, absolutely brilliant, Vivitar was a great brand though many "snobs" looked down on them, totally agree re studio work, fantastic bit of kit, thanks for sharing.....
@@thephotographersbag FYI. Most of the older 283's had a high trigger voltage 200-300 volts. The used ones to buy that are safe are made in China at 8 volts.
Yup, known issue as the high voltage ones can fry the electronics of digital cameras etc, care needed, I only use mine with film cameras and have modern flashguns for my digital cameras, thanks for the tip though, it's worth warning people to check the trigger voltage and check their cameras specification, could be an expensive mistake!
ATG started out with this flash. It became the best seller at that time.
Then 285, 285HV to the following:
* Canon 199A
* Sunpak 555
* Sunpak 622
* Metz 60CT series
* Metz 76MZ-5
* Quantum QFlashes
Hi, thanks for all the useful information, I have several of the flashguns you mention, videos to come.....
I don't believe that voltage measurement, I've never heard of a flash trigger voltage so low. But thumbs up for making the point. It's a lottery buying a 283 whether the voltage is high or low, most sellers haven't a clue. I would not keep a high voltage unit in my house with a modern camera around, just in case someone fits it on the hotshoe one day. The feet of 283's were prone to breaking off BTW and there was once a minor industry making replacements. 283s were not special, other than being very popular at one time. There are better equivalents like the Sunpak 433 and 444 which had safe voltages and could swivel too.
Hi and thanks, I agree with you that the voltage does not seem right, the 283 was extremely popular for whatever reason and sold in huge numbers though I also agree with your choices, better models available, don't fry your DSLR with a £20 flash through ignorance!
@@thephotographersbag Seems the 283 became very popular because it was early in the market (mid-70s?) as a powerful unit of good value for money. It got a reputation for reliability too. Somewhat like the Pentax K1000 film camera, it became a market survivor. Later flash unit makers "learned" from the 283 success and produced what were basically improved 283s, adding features like zoom heads, swivel, camera dedication etc (not necessarily all at once), like the Sunpak 444 and Vivitar's own 285. But the 283 remained entrenched because the early users continued to recommend it to newcomers, for example photography class tutors to theirt pupils, long after its real "sell-by" date.
thanks for sharing. I still own two Vivitar 283 flash guns that I bought 35+ years ago. I also have the grip, cable release and two cords - one coil and the other 4'. as well as the filter system. I was researching how I might use them with my table top photography and my DSLR Pentax K3. can the two - 283's be synched, off camera? any suggestions will help. thanks in advance.
Hi, I think the K3 has a built-in flash so you could use optical slaves on the 283 guns for triggering, don't plug these guns directly to the camera as it might fry it.....
Keep the 283s for use with old film cameras, and get something safe for your K3. There are loads of older flash units on Ebay etc, otherwise similar but with _safe_ voltages, so cheap they are almost being given away - like $5. They are being sold because people don't realise they can be used on digital, and people are changing to phone cameras anyway.
Is possible to use this flash in a Canon digital DSLR camera?
Hi, no it is not a good idea to use these vintage flashes with DSLRs, they have a very high " trigger voltage" and can fry the electronics in modern cameras
Having said that, some of them were revised and are safe to use, but generally use a more modern flash as outlined in the camera user manual, if you need a copy for your camera, please let me know!
The reason why your sync. cable doesn't want to stay in is because it isn't a genuine Vivitar. These flashguns have a specially designed socket/plug unique only to Vivitar.
Hi, thanks for the information, very useful to know, added to my shopping list.....
You are not familiar with this flash. You said the flash is safe because you measure 25mV but that's because you have the remote sensor plugged in and in that case the shoe on the flash no longer has voltage.
DO NOT have to worry about high voltage or those claimed professional photographers saying that it will damage your digital camera.
Learn to shoot what ATG has taught thousand of photographers with ATG Auto2 modes (better than using TTL).
Hi, thanks for the information, very useful....
That's risky advice. The earlier 283s had high trigger voltages, up to 600v, and ~300v for later models. Only the most recent (made outside Japan) ones are lower, around 10v. You might be lucky with one on a digital (or even an electronic film) camera, but it's Russian Roulette. As for "ATG Auto 2" mode, I gather that was simply the original name for "Auto". Was ATG a friend of yours?
@@lexlayabout5757 Since it (as well as 285 & 285HV) was made by ATG for Ponder/Best (Vivitar). Those three flashes have PC Sync Port as well as ATG Auto2 features.
Again, you can connects these with the ATG's (Vivitar) PC Sync Cable (included) to the camera's (advanced to pro digital cameras) PC Sync Socket.
Or you can shoot it wireless in 433mhz using Pocket Wizard, at that time or any today radio set. ATG says that was & the safest way.
FYI:
ATG Auto2 was changed into A (ATG) uto Thyristor.
ATG made & in Quantum QFlashes & Metz, Canon, Nikon & Nissin.
To cut cost for today because many photographers are lost on how to use it, so all Sony flashes do not have ATG Auto2.